Friction clutch



Aug. 7, 1923.

E. w. STARKEY FRICIION CLUTCH 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed June 9, w22

INVENTOR En rust W'iwfy Aug. 7, 1923. 19464251 E. W. STARKEY FRICTION CLUTCH Filed June 9; 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug, il' ll ERNEST YVALTER STARKEY, F BBlENG-HAM, ENG-LAND, SSIGNOR TO CHARLES H.

PUGH LMTED AND GEORGE FREDEl'tI GK BULL, F IBRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

FRIGTGN CLUTCH.

Application filed June 9,

To all 107mm t 'mc/,gj Concern.'

Be it known that l, lilnuns'r lllnnrrn STARKEY, subjectof the King of Great Britain, residing at Birmingham, England, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in AFriction Clutches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to friction clutches for the transmission of power.

'lhe object of the present invention is to provide improved means for disengaging the clutch whereby end thrust upon both the driving and driven shafts is obviated during the engaging and discnfgaging of the clutch, so that lateral strains upon the shaft bearings are avoided.

ilccording to the said invention the operating` lever or the like is mounted and fulcrumed upon members mounted upon either the driven or driving; shafts, said lever or the like being suitably connected to the disengaginp member of the clutch mounted upon the same shaft asthe lever.-

Figure 1 a plan view of the clutch showing?r the friction members thereof disengafred.

Figure 2 is a similar view to Figurel but showing' the friction iuen'ibers engaged.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the clutch, on the line 3 3 of liig. 1.

Figure 4l is a transverse section upon th line fin-4t Figure 1.

rlhe invention is applicable to any system. for the transmission of power wherein there is a driven and a driving; shaft.

ln carrying out the invention in its preferred form (as shown upon the accompanying' drawings), in connection with a plate type of clutch, the driving member com prises a plate or disc feathered to slide upon the driving' shaft 2 and opposed to a similar plate or disc 3 fixed upon the driven shaft 4l, a suitable friction facing' 5 being.,` applied to one or both ofthe plates. The driving; member 1 is carried by a boss or extension 6 upon the end of which is screwed a thrust collar '7 acted upon by a series of coiled springs 8 arranged around the .shaft parallel therewith and located in housings 9 in the inner end 10 of a cylindrical member slidably mounted upon the driving' shaft and having an extension 11 of reduced diameter at its outer end. rl`he driving,` member 1 of the clutch is thus normally forced into drivinfnr engagement with the driven member 3 1922. Serial No. 567,155.

through the medium of the springs 8 acting upon the thrust collar 7 which in turn eX- erts pressure upon the driving member.

Mounted freely upon the boss 6 ofthe driving member is a loose clutch-withdrawal collar 12 provided with .radial studs or pins 13- at diametrically opposite points, said collar being` adapted to engz'igi'eV the thrust collar 7 (which is of larger diameter than the said boss) through the medium of a ballthrust bearing 14E carried in a loose ring Aor cage. ll/lountedupon the reduced outer'end 11 of the cylindrical member carrying the springs is a similar loose clutch-withdrawal collar 15 provided with radial studs or pins 16 at diametrically opposite points, said collar being adapted to engage the outer face 1'? of the larger diameter of the cylindrical member through the medium of a ball-thrust bearing 18 carried in a loose rinp; or cage. The loose withdrawal collars 12 and 15 and the parts situated between them are enclosed within a cylindrical casing or enclosure sleeve 19 having' slots 2O in its opposite ends to receive the radial studs or pins of the said collars. rlhis sleeve prevents the withdrawal collars from rotating relatively to each other and so retains the pins or studs in alignment.

The operating` lever 21 for withdrawing` 'the clutch terminates in a fork the branches 22 of which embrace the aforesaid,casing` or enclosure sleeve 19; and each said branch of the fork is coupled, by a pair of links 23 to the projecting; studs or pins upon the respective sides of the two clutch-with drawal collars, the said links being pivoted to the fork at points one above the other, so that the links normally take a slightly inclined position relatively to the axis of the shaft asis clearly seen. in Figures 1 and 2.

lt will be obvious that when the lever 21 operated the olutrlfh-withdrawal collars 12 and 15 are drawn towards each other owing to the pivots or fulcrum 24; and 25 sliding or moving relatively to each other, the springs 8 being thereby compressed. thus disengagjing the clutch.

Having fully described my invention, what ldesire to claim and secure by Letters ljatent is tl'n a power transmission system having a driving` and a driven shaft; a friction clutch having clutch springs, a pair of members both mountedupon one of the shafts and said members are moved rela-tively towards each other to dlsengage the eluteh.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 1n* hand in presence of two subscribingv Witnesses. v

ERNEST VVLLXLTER vWitnesses:

XV. L. SKERRETT, W. N. SKERRETT.

STARKEY. 

